Week 1 Part 1: MADRID
BUEN VIAJE EN MADRID
(Meant to be posted after leaving Madrid. Posted after Morocco trip due to low connection speed in Morocco.)
Introducción a España
Getting around wasn't too difficult. On Google Maps, we had starred many of the places we knew we would want to go, then took the metro to the nearest stop & followed the blue dot as we walked & got a little off-track. Other fun places like local restaurants & pretty side streets were easy to find simply by walking the area. Sometimes when I spoke Spanish to communicate with natives, I knew I was conjugating incorrectly & stumbled through my words, but for the most part, I communicated the necessary questions or answers efficiently, even if I only used words or phrases instead of full sentences. The hardest part is correctly understanding a full response from a Spanish speaker because most of them speak super quickly compared to English. Luckily, picking out a few key words was really useful, & I'm so glad I've gotten to practice my Spanish in the place this beautiful language started.
Los detalles
Includes WHY I loved it, WHERE it is, WHAT we did there, & HOW MUCH the activity cost.
Favorite Attraction: Retiro Park
- Why: the park was massive (felt bigger than Central Park & Forest Park, but I'd have to look up the details) with gorgeous trees, countless sitting areas, & multiple ponds including the
- Where: in the Atocha neighborhood, a little bit southeast of Puerta del Sol (the city center)
- What: boat rides in the pond
- How much: €6 per boat for 45 mins
Other notable attractions: Real Madrid stadium, Gran Via street, Club Kapital, Calle del León
Favorite food: Chocolate churros
- Why: why would you ever NOT love chocolate churros? This little shop was tucked
- Where: Calle de San Ginés, about a 5 minute walk north of Plaza Mayor in city center
- What: 6 churros and one mug full of warm chocolate sauce; we shared one order!
- How much: about €5
Other favorite food: tapas with ham, stuffed mushrooms (champiñones rellenas), mozzarella bread at San Miguel
Favorite drink: Mojitos
- Why: they are incredibly refreshing & fruity; I actually chose wildberry sangria instead, but I have a sip of Lindsey & Mary Pat's drinks & they said they were probably the best they'd ever had.
- Where: San Miguel Market (Mercado de San Miguel) just west of Plaza Mayor. It's a small brown building, freestanding with open windows and doors, in the middle of a small plaza. A little warm & crowded during lunch time but so worth it.
- What: Berry mojitos (can mix ingredients including kiwi, basil, strawberry, raspberry, etc)
- How much: €4 without alcohol, €7 with alcohol
Mojito bar
The outside of the market
My dark chocolate tartaleta & wildberry frozen yogurt shot
The walk from Plaza Mayor to Mercado de San Miguel
Advice for travelers:
- The best travel tip I would share from visiting Madrid is to buy a tourist pass for the metro. The first day, we stayed in the neighborhood near our Airbnb & walked everywhere. The next 2 days, we bought a 2-day Tourist Pass for Zone A of the metro for €14 per person. It was an unlimited pass for the metro in all the main areas of the city. However, it did automatically expire on the third day, regardless of the time we had bought the pass, so we had to get a 1-way €5 ticket to the airport. The airport was the ONLY place we were required to swipe out after de-boarding the metro.
- Sidenote: It was relaxing to not have to pre-book any activities here, except for the Real Madrid soccer stadium tour. You know, that little team with a played named Cristiano Ronaldo. That fútbol club that is the only one in the world to have had the honor being officially named "Best Club in the World."
We booked this tour 1 day prior on getyourguide.com for €24 per person. The inside of Santiago Bernabeu Stadium was absolutely stunning, & the tour was definitely worth our money. Next time I visit Europe, I definitely want to attend a real game.
Conclusión
Madrid is a really cool city. From my narrow perspective of only having been in Europe for 3 days so far- coupled with the stories & images I've heard & seen from friends & family- Madrid seems like a very good physical representation of a European city. It has efficient public transportation, lots of tourists, & tons of old buildings with beautiful traditional architecture along cobblestone streets. There is pick-pocketing, a decent crowd of homeless people, & plenty of signs in English for when you get lost.
I think Madrid would be a fun place to work or visit, but it honestly was not as stunning as I imagine Rome or Paris or Barcelona will be. Some of the largest tourist attractions like Plaza Mayor are beautiful to see & fun to explore, but they were not as outright awe-striking as what I've seen in movies & photos from other places. That being said, I believe Madrid was the perfect place for us to start our trip. Spanish is the foreign language we'd be most comfortable speaking, the slow-paced lifestyle was relaxing & not overwhelming, & we had lots of opportunities to enjoy the authenticity of the city.
Viaje próximo
We are now on our way to Morocco. Get ready for stories about cous cous & camels, deserts & dunes, shopping & spas. ¡Hasta la vista, amigos!
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